Nine states. More than 50 hours of training farmers and ag organizations on social media. 2 tornado warnings during 15+ hours of driving, topped by 5 severe thunderstorms. Gratitude for the way others in ag welcomed new folks. 15+ flights; 1 diverted, many delayed and two cancelled. Tired vocal cords. And outstanding conversations with close to 200 farmers. That was my June.

We had great discussions about the necessity of farmers speaking out in a more proactive way. Most people I’ve worked with in the last month agreed agriculture has developed a tendency to be defensive. After all, if you’re backed into a corner, you’re likely to come out fighting, right? Local food, biotechnology, organic, animal welfare, subsidies, carbon footprint, fuel, etc. are all hot issues that have seemingly put our backs up against a wall.

Rather than looking at this as being put in the corner and constantly defending ourselves, I believe the interest in food and fuel offers an incredible opportunity for agriculture to be a part of the conversation.

1. Listen: How will you connect with a person if you don’t take the time to listen? Groups on Linkedin or Twitter conversations are a great place to listen to folks, even if you don’t agree with them. Listen louder and you’ll get a clear look at societal interests and trends far removed from your driveway. It’s about broadening your horizons, understanding another viewpoint and learning about others. This does not mean you have to agree!

2. Engage: Unlike some folks I met in Missouri that enjoyed collecting friends on Facebook (but not talking to them), you actually have to engage in a real conversation with people – whether you are in person or online. Look up the definition of conversation: an oral exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas. As you engage with people, you widen the stream of communications, bringing in others and deepening the “trust well.” It’s about connecting on an emotional level.

3. Educate: After you listen and engage, you earn the right to educate. I had a person in Iowa tell me this week that he didn’t want to waste his time on the first two – he just wanted to be able to tell people the facts. That may work in his playbook, but it doesn’t in the majority of communities. There’s a reason that 460 million people are on Facebook; humans enjoy interfacing with humans. A glimpse into life on the farm with a photo from your phone, perspective from a farm family or a tidbit on how food gets to the grocery store can provide that very human connection. Telling people what you want them to know doesn’t connect at the same level if you don’t have a relationship.

Sometimes we need to realize a question is just a question. The question doesn’t mean that a consumer is dumb, your neighbor is against your farm, or a mom is questioning how you raise food. The question means the person is opening the doorway for a conversation. Will you slam that door shut by being defensive? Or, will you take the time to listen and engage?

We’ll never be able to earn the right to educate if we only defend. Take the time today to listen and engage – then you’ll be able to educate far more effectively to help people know how deeply you care.

As a professional speaker, I’m blessed with an array of colleagues who broaden my perspective, offer great business ideas – and yes, provide inspiration while keeping me grounded. One of those colleagues has worn a nametag for more than 3,450 days. His name is Scott Ginsberg – and he’s so committed to his cause, he even has his nametag tattooed on to his chest. Scott is one of a few people who writes in a way that touches both the heart and mind – it’s my honor to have his guest post in two-part series this week. I think you’ll find his lessons on infection apply to our work in agriculture – and no vaccines are needed! (more…)

When I was about six, I was charged with sweeping our calf barn and then tasked with other chores as I grew. I quickly learned that leveraging my strengths, creatively utilizing all the tools and working together would result in the most work getting done. Our cows gave me all sorts of lessons in leveraging my fairly small frame against 2000 pounds, though they didn’t always necessarily appreciate my creative use of tools. In the fields, I discovered more stones would get picked in our fields when there was more than just my two hands. (more…)

Telling your story can happen through words, pictures, videos or text!

The National Agriculture Week celebration continues with great events across communities, large and small, in real life and the virtual world. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and even Linkedin have been filled with updates from people working to increase awareness of American agriculture. The idea extravaganza at the Cause Matters Corp. fan page has brought people from across the country to the party; these are a few of my favorites s far (we’re partying til Saturday at midnight). (more…)

There’s a collective sigh of relief in my office! It appears a party can be thrown on Facebook – and be a cool way of connecting people. I don’t know about you, but I’m always a little worried before a party. The same worries held true before I announced the National Agriculture Week Party on the Cause Matters Corp. Facebook fan page. What if no one showed up…or it was boring…or we ran out of ideas or…(yes, I worry too much). Well, I’m pleased to report the party seems to hopping. Check out just a few of the great ideas shared by people across the country… (more…)

We’re having a party – and you are invited! This party is going to be a bit different; it’s all about idea sharing and is happening virtually on Facebook at the Cause Matters Corp. fan page, so you’ll have to BYOB. What’s the occasion? National Agriculture Week, of course! What better time to connect the people raising food, feed, fuel and fiber? And – you may just win a prize for the most creative idea or question…

Since most party invitations include all of the particulars, we’re making that attempt here. The best part? You don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home – and you can meet all sorts of interesting new people while learning from them. Here’s what you need to know. (more…)

MPK Note ~ Darin Grimm, a family farmer in northeast Kansas, grows corn, soybeans, wheat, sunflowers on 2000 acres with 1100 head of beef cattle. Darin loves technology, particularly data related to improving the decision-making ability for agriculturists, having been involved with precision ag tools for a number of years. In the last year, his interest in technology has attracted him to analytics of social media. He wrote this guest post in response to a question posted on #AgChat, a weekly streaming moderated conversation on Twitter. I applaud him for taking the initiative! (more…)